KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 – Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today suggested that the government set up a Youth Bank to provide loans to help young entrepreneurs to venture into business, especially in high-technology sector.
The setting up of the bank was among the proposals forwarded by the movement for consideration in the 2010 Budget, to be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Oct 23.
The movement also called for a wider employment opportunities especially in strategic sectors such as service, information technology and biotechnology.
Speaking at the Umno Youth general assembly here today, Khairy said the opportunity for a lifetime training should also be created.
The government should also set up a fund to provide low-interest housing loans to newly-married couples to facilitate home ownership among them.
A special discount should also be given to couples with first child to buy the national car as well as providing RM200 as a seed fund for the first child of each couple, to be deposited into the National Education Saving Scheme.
Special vouchers should also be provided for couples to buy basic items for babies, he said.
Khairy said the people-friendly measures would go a long way in winning the hearts and minds of the younger generations, whom he described as the country’s assets.
Khairy told a news conference later that studies carried out by the movement showed that the younger generations were finding it difficult to cope with the high cost of living.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth vice-chief Datuk Razali Ibrahim said the proposed Youth Bank would encourage the younger generations to venture into business.
“In Malaysia there are 11.8 million youths aged between 15 and 40 who stand to benefit from the proposal,” he said.
He added that although these were just a proposal, if implemented it could jump-start the effort to regain the support of the younger generation. – Bernama
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